Apparatus for recording the periods of operation of an electrical installation



March 13, 1934. Q wlNTER 1,950,832

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE PERIODS 0F OPERATlON OF AN ELECTRICALINSTALLATION Filed April 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l mfim f77 zf'e 77 for;

March 13, 1934. G, WINTER 1,950,832

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE PERIODS OF OPERATION OF AN ELECTRICALINSTALLATION Filed April 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13,1934 APPARATUS FOR RECORDING TBEPERIODS F OPERATION 0F AN ELECTRICALIN.-

STALLATION Gustav Winter, Le Locle, Switzerland, assigner to the llrm ofFabrique: Des Montres Zenith Successeur De Fabriques Des Montres ZenithGeorges Favre-.lacet Cie, Le Locle, Switzerland Application April 26,1932, Serial No. 607,640

y In Germany May 4, 1931 Claims. (Cl. 23d-625) Various kinds ofapparatus are in existence, in

y which the power, current intensity or voltage of an electrical circuitat each instantis transmitted to and recorded on a moving band orsimilar recording device, which isorwarded by means oi a clockworkmechanism at a predetermined rate, so that a continuous diagram isobtained, which records the power or` voltage of the circuit during agiven period. The kinds oi apparatus which have been on the markethitherto (e, g. recording watt-meters) are, however, very complicated,and, above all, thecost of production thereof is so high they areemployed for the most part only in electrical works or in very largeindustrial installations.

The. present invention, however, relates to an apparatus forelectricallyrecording only the periods ot operation of an electrical power orlighting installation, the value of the power or voltage at any instantnot being taken into account. The diagram which will be obtained withthis apparatus is intended only to show whether and over what intervalsof time the installation in question has been in operation or has hadcurrent sup- 'plied to it.

The means for operating the recording medium or sheet on which thediagram is to be described,

. which may consist either of an endless strip passng over rollers (bandrecorder) or of a dial (disc recorder), are known per se.

In the improved apparatus the stylus which is adapted to cooperate withthe recording sheet is controlled by a simple electro-magnet by means ofa lever mechanism, in such a manner that the stylus moves radially outof its normal or restposition when the electro-magnet is energized, sothat the alteration in the path of the stylus along the sheet isrecorded on the latter even if it is only temporary. As the movablemember of the electro-magnet remains in one position so long as currentis supplied to the apparatus under observation, the period of operationthereof may be readily ascertained from the recording sheet, which ismoved by the clockwork mechanismand is divided into intervalsrepresenting intervals of time.

The electro-magnet will only bring the stylus out of its normal positionor permit it to return thereto, according to whether the circuit isclosed through it at the commencement of a period of operation orinterrupted at the end of a period of operation, and this in such amanner, that the stylus is moved in a substantially radial directionoutwards towards the edge of the sheet or inwards towards the centrethereof in order to vindicate on the sheet, by these radialdisplacements, the commencement or end of a period of operation withinthe curve or diagram traced on the recording sheet.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, twoconstructior'ial embodiments of an electrical recording apparatus forrecording periods of operation constructed in accordance with theinventiorl will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of one construction, in part asectional elevation thereof,

Figure 2 being a pla-n view thereof partly in section with the coveringof the casing removed.

Figure 3 shows a second form in open position of the casing. l

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a is an electro-magnet which isrigidly mounted in the casing of the apparatus, b is a loosely mountedsupporting arm for a stylus c, adapted to cooperate with a recordingsheet m, a support member r being provided for the latter.

A lever d, which is subject to the action of a tension spring f isrotatably mounted together with the supporting arm b of the stylus on apin g, the free end of the lever d being connected to the armature h ofthe electro-magnet a in such a manner that, when the armature h isattracted, the lever d is rotated about the pin g against the action ofthe spring f, thereby rotating the supporting arm b so that the stylus cis moved radially outwards with respect to the recording sheet m. Inorder that a blank recording sheet may be readily inserted, the stylussupporting arm b is formed of two distinct parts, one of which isconnected to the lever d, whilst the other is pivotally mounted on ahorizontal pin p carried by said first arm part to allow a tilting up ofthe stylus carrying arm part. Clockwork mechanism i is connected by afriction gearing (not shown in the drawings) with the keyed shaft k andcauses the latter to rotate together with the recording sheet m placedthereon in the direction of the arrow a. The keyed shaft 1c, andtherefore the recording sheet m is connected with the clockworkmechanism i through a friction gearing, in order that the diagram sheetm may easily be adjusted with respect to a time notch n provided in thesupport member r, to av determined initial time.

This apparatus is connected to a subsidiary electrical circuit which isconnected to the electrlcal installation under observation, in such amanner that, in order to set the latter into operation the circuitleading to the coil of the electro-magnet a is closed. When this occur-sthe amature h of the electro-magnet a is attracted, and, through theintermediary of the lever d, effects a corresponding deflection of thesupporting arm b of the stylus c, which will commence to trace on thesheet m a line such as a, having inner and outer curved partsinterconnected by radial straight lines. l

As soon as the circuit is broken, the electromagnet a becomesdeenergized again, so that the tension spring j returns the lever d, andtherefore the stylus c, to the initial or rest position. As shown in thedrawings, a spring o may also be provided, if desired in theelectro-magnet a itself, for supplementing the action of the spring f ineffecting the return movement of the lever d.

The apparatus may be closed while in use by means of a safety lock, inorder to prevent removal or exchange of the recording sheets byunauthorized persons. The clockwork mechanism may also be so arrangedthat one rotation of the sheet is performed over any desired interval oftime, e. g. 24 hours, 12 hours or less, according to Whether smal orlarge intervals on the recording sheet are to represent predeterminedintervals of time.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, ythe stylus c is soarranged with respect to the recording sheet, that by its own weght orby other means it remains in contact therewith during pauses inoperation, and at a distance from the edge thereof which is differentfrom that maintained during the periods of operation.

Figure 3 shows a construction where n the mechanism is located withinthe cover-like part B oi' the casing, hinged to the base-plate Athereof, which serves for the connection of the apparatus with thecircuit to be controlled. a is the electro-magnet, d the armature leverconnected to the core piece h and pivoted at y together with thetwo-part supporting arm b for the stylus c; i is the clockwork forrotating the recording sheet passing over the support r where the stylusc rests thereon. The circuit of the electro-magnet a comprises a pair ofcontacts tl arranged to cooperate with a corresponding pair of contactst on the inside of the base-plate A when the cover part B is turned overon to the base-plate A so as to connect the said circuit to the line vcorning from the electrical installation to be controlled and connectedto the terminal piece fixed on the inside of the base-plate A. Thecircuit of the electro-magnet a still contains a signalling lamp utogether with a safety fusible w, said lamp u being arranged to indicatethrough a window in the casing ywhether the electromagnet is energizedor not, so as to signalize the operative or inoperative condition of theapparatus.

What I claim is:-

1. Apparatus for recording the rest or operatlng periods of anelectrical installation, comprising a shaft, time-operated means forrotating said shaft, a chart carried by said shaft, a solenoid disposedon its side beneath said chart. a spring-biased arcuate lever attachedat one end to the armature of said solenoid and adapted to be movedthereby, the lever extending around said shaft to a positionsubstantially diametrically opposed to said solenoid, a pivot pin onwhich said lever is mounted, and a stylus consisting of two arms, thefirst being pivoted to said pin and the second being hinged to the firstarm on a pivot pin substantially perpendicular to the first-mentionedpivot pin, so that the point of said stylus swingably overlies thechart.

2. Apparatus for recording the rest or operating periods of anelectrical instalation, comprising a shaft, time-operated means forrotating said shaft, a chart carried by sad shaft, a solenoid disposedon its side beneath said chart, a spring-biased arcuate lever attachedat one end to the amature of said solenoid and adapted to be movedthereby, the lever extending around said shaft -to a positionsubstantially d'ametrically opposed to said solenoid, a pivot pin onwhich said lever is mounted, a stylus consisting of two arms, the firstbeing pivoted to said pin and the second being hinged to the first armon a pivot pin substantially perpendicular to the first-mentioned pivotpin, so that the point of said stylus swingably overlies the chart and asupporting member underneath the point of the stylus and over which thechart passes.

GUSTAV WINTER.

